Transformation of Students in the Digital Age

                       

                                                                                           image source: fenn.org                                                                                                              

Transformation of Learning

During the past thirty-two years as a teacher I have witnessed first hand the impact of digital learning on education.   By incorporating technology the transformation on student learning  includes; individualized learning allowing students to learn at their own pace, formative assessments with immediate feedback allowing students to monitor their own progress, ability to publish their work online to authentic audiences, and collaboration with their classmates 24/7.

Transformation of Classroom Policies

As our students  continue to utilize technology it is the role of the teacher to incorporate classroom policies that support students in understanding copyright laws and how one can protect their privacy and be safe while using technology. Examples of these policies include; instructing students that when posting work on line they should never use their first name, provide personal information or post pictures of themselves or others.  Students should be instructed to  use an avatar instead of a profile picture.  I have included a link to free digital citizenship info-graphics and other resources for the classroom here.  When considering digital tools for our students it is important to know if the vendor will use students' data.  It is also not the duty of only the English teacher to teach students about plagiarism and copyright laws but should be the role of all teachers to model and inform students of their responsibility.  For example many educators will import pictures into their PowerPoint presentations without considering if a citation is needed.  Students can be shown how to locate open source materials on the internet.  A consistent and uniform message from all teacher at a school site regarding copyright laws will support student understanding.  I still wonder if apps, like turnitin.com, assist student understanding of copyright laws or teacher instruction is a bigger influence.  I am fortunate to work in a school district where teacher training, instructional materials and online resources are available to inform teachers of students' privacy and copyright laws.